Originally Posted by
auldgeunquers
Half the battle for safety could be won, I think, by eliminating situations where one person's life depends on another person's attention.
You mean like bicycling on a road shared with motor vehicles?
Originally Posted by
Dahon.Steve
Wow! Thanks for the post.
I use the bus bike racks each week, sometimes two or three times a day during the weekends. I would never have imagined someone getting killed using the bike rack. I always tell the drive I'm getting off and taking my bike. I try real fast to take the bike off before so that I'm done in less than 10 seconds.
However, now I'm going to have to pay attention to the driver's eyes to see if he's paying attention. I've noticed that a good portion of bus drivers are angry and dislike their job. Other drivers treat their buses like cars and get a kick driving fast and furious. This is my solution.
1. Walk to the front of the bus two blocks before your stop so you can be the first to leave.
2. Notify the driver you're getting off and taking the bike. Show him/her your helmet!
3. Quickly, (as fast as possible) remove your bike from the rack and close the bike rack. (should take no more than 7-10 seconds)
4. Always keep your eyes on the driver. Make him aware that your are there by waving and trying to catch his attention.
5. If he shuts the doors and doesn't see you, get ready to jump out of the way!
I never felt comfortable removing the bike from the front of the bus. Now my fears were real all along!!! Thanks for the article.
Yeah, I put my bike on the front of the bus every morning, and I do the same thing - try to be one of the first ones off the bus, and get my bike off ASAP. In fact, a year or so ago, one of my busmates who got off after me made the mistake of stepping behind me as I was taking my bike of the rack. I apologized profusely after shouldering my bike, and then whacking him with my back wheel as I spun around to set the rack back in the up position.
I used to think I was a bit paranoid - the last time I rode with an unfamiliar driver, I told him - "I'm getting my bike when we stop". It is like you are insulting the driver - you're standing there wearing a bike helmet, duh, of course you're getting your bike. But I guess I'm maybe just appropriately cautious.
I also turn on a couple of blinkies before I step off the bus.
It is easy to fault the driver, but it is a tough job, and a lot of those folks work long hours. I know my regular driver does the the first route (my route) @ 0517 AM. I've seen him later on occasion towards 5PM. I guess the drivers work split shifts. Driving a huge vehicle like that through crazy downtown traffic is no picnic.
And while the isolated nature of this incident means that in all likely-hood further safety devices are not warranted, the attitude of so many of the posters on this forum drives me crazy.
Yes accidents happen. But also, we have these thing called "brains". We can use them to see if there is someway to prevent or mitigate these accidents - which are foreseeable - because we're humans, and we know we make mistakes.
Because of these "brains", we now have seatbelts, airbags, anti-lock brakes, safety arms on school buses, and more recently, backup cameras. The list goes on.
I think it is reasonable to look at the cause of this accident, and determine if there are reasonable steps that can be taken to prevent such occurrences in the future.